Service Times: Saturdays at 5 p.m., Sundays at 9, 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and Mondays at 7 p.m. (EST).
Just as God has uniquely created each individual, designing within each one the potential to contribute something precious to the lives of others, so too God has created diversity in His kingdom so that each congregation and Christian organization will make a unique contribution to the world.

Be the Church. Everywhere, Every day.

When we come to God, it is because we are responding to His voice. It is God who initiates; God who calls; God who saves. When we truly see Him for Who He is, we are compelled to worship HIm, to respond to HIs nature. When we respond, others are blessed. When we are the church, we respond to God for the benefit of others.

Dr. Joel C. Hunter

Senior Pastor

Can people from various backgrounds work together constructively rather than negatively ... learning to serve together rather than argue? Dr. Joel C. Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed, says that it’s not only possible, it’s necessary.

During Dr. Hunter’s tenure, which began in 1985, Northland has grown from 200 faithful souls to a congregation of 20,000 that worships at three sites around Metro Orlando and around the world via interactive Webcast. Congregants take leadership of nearly every ministry effort inside the church, out in the community and around the world. Elders, pastors and paid staff don’t try to control the initiatives of congregants or the connections they make, and they don’t watch over their shoulders unnecessarily. Dr. Hunter encourages Northlanders: “Do what you can, where you are, with what you’ve got.”

Before bringing his family to Northland, Dr. Hunter served as a United Methodist pastor for 15 years in Indiana. He and his wife, Becky, have been partners in the ministry since their marriage in 1972. Becky is the former president of the Global Pastors Wives Network and is the author of Being Good to Your Husband On Purpose (Creation House) and Why Her? You, Your Daughter-in-Law and the Big Picture. The Hunters are parents to three sons: Joshua, CEO of Hunter Vision; Joel, an ophthalmic surgeon who specializes in 3D LASIK and cataracts; and Isaac, a former pastor (1977-2013). The Hunters have seven grandchildren: Noah, Jada, Ella, Lincoln, Luke, Lena and Ava (2004-2010).

A longtime bridge-builder who seeks common ground for the common good, Dr. Hunter approaches today’s issues in a biblical and balanced manner. He has become an internationally known spokesperson for “compassion issues” outlined in Scripture: sanctity of life, creation care, justice, poverty, and marriage and the family, and has been featured in national publications including Time, Newsweek, The New York Times and The Washington Post. A three-time consecutive recipient of Central Florida’s “50 Most Powerful” citizens by Orlando magazine, he has been interviewed on NPR and featured on programs such as “The Early Show,” CNN’s “American Morning,” PBS’ “Religion and Ethics,” and “Anderson Cooper 360.”

Cooperation and partnership are hallmarks of Dr. Hunter’s ministry. Together, he believes, we can accomplish more because of our differences than we would on our own—without giving up our unique identities. A respected leader in the Evangelical community, he serves on the board of the World Evangelical Alliance (600 million constituents) and the National Association of Evangelicals (30 million members).

Dr. Hunter is partnering with diverse groups to accomplish common goals. He is working with respected members of the scientific community to call attention to human-caused threats to the environment. Grist magazine named him among the top 15 religious environmental leaders in the world, along with the Pope and the Dalai Lama. Additionally, as a delegate to the U.S.-Islamic World Forum held in Doha, Qatar, he is seeking to build a dialogue between Muslim and Christian communities.

Dr. Hunter served in the inaugural year on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which advised President Barack Obama on substantive policy issues, including interfaith relations, strengthening the role of fathers in society and reducing the number of abortions. He continues as a spiritual advisor to the President.

Dr. Hunter is the author of several books, including A New Kind of Conservative (Regal Books), which outlines a non-partisan approach to political involvement.

The church at large is missing a way to benefit from differences without compromising our beliefs, Dr. Hunter concludes. “Fear and suspicion of differences limit the church’s spiritual maturity. Both spiritual and intellectual maturity grow from differences. A distributed church uses contrasts to accomplish kingdom purposes.”

Connect with Joel C. Hunter

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Compact and compelling, I Don’t Do Crazy Anymore brings into focus the picture of who God really is and gives readers a deeper understanding of why He allows difficult people and circumstances into our lives, along with practical advice on how to deal with it all.

Inner State 80 is a collection of inspirational readings by Dr. Joel C. Hunter. The book was developed from a ten-year preaching series designed to help people along on the journey toward spiritual maturity.

With A New Kind of Conservative, Dr. Hunter takes a provocative look at how faith and politics have interacted in America, giving civic-minded people a balanced and biblically-based approach to political involvement.

What is the church distributed? It's a way to make the most of our differences, connecting individuals and organizations together for long-term support and effectiveness without trying to blur our distinctions.